Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Score: 7.5/10
Verdict: Huawei’s flagship has a camera that rivals the best, but its software undermines it.
WITH THE MAJORITY of Spring smartphone releases nearly done, a few decided to wait until after the hype of Mobile World Congress before launching their own flagships.
One of which is Huawei, the third-largest smartphone maker in the world. When it announced the P9 and P9 Plus two weeks ago, it involved a major campaign designed to say one thing: Huawei is a major player now so sit up and take notice.
That’s what it is in theory but after using it for the guts of a week, it has the camera to back it up, but a few familiar problems rear their heads.
Almost premium
Make no mistake, this is an incredibly light smartphone. Wafer-thin and almost unnoticeable when you put it in your pocket, it’s a little surprising how much it was able to fit into the phone considering the design.
The rectangular design isn’t going to stick in your mind. It’s good and functional but it doesn’t quite match the metal design of Samsung’s S7 or HTC 10. Still, it’s pretty good and the lightness works to its advantage.
Going for length instead of width, the 5.2-inch screen doesn’t feel difficult to operate one-handed and is generally quite pleasant to use.
The fingerprint scanner is located at the back but the square shape and the higher than usual positioning means unlocking isn’t exactly the most convenient process.
Moving towards simplicity
The latest version of Emotion 4.1 has been refined further and has cut down on the dross in certain areas like the settings menu, which has been greatly simplified.
It still shares many similarities with iOS, and if there’s a criticism with this look, it’s that Huawei could be a little bit more adventurous with Emotion’s look and functionality. The animations used for navigation and completing actions have a polish to them but are let down by what’s around it.
Familiarity does help to an extent but when you see little touches like how it tells you how much RAM you have free on the Recents tab and others like knuckle gestures, it’s a pity that it confines itself to someone else’s rules.
The sheer number of Huawei and third-party apps pre-installed is still a problem, many of them you won’t use and will only take up space. Granted, you have 32GB but the lack of an app tray to store them away doesn’t help matters.
And the same trap that plagues previous Huawei phones still applies here. Quite a number of features feel more like an attempt to throw things against the wall and see what sticks, and it will insist on telling you it can close an app to improve battery life again and again.
Hardware
Sporting 3GB of RAM and a Quad-core 2.5 GHz & quad-core 1.8 GHz CPU, the P9 handles almost any task you throw at it without any real problems. The performance is up to scratch and unlike the P8, there weren’t any moments where it heated up.
The 3,000 mAH battery is large but realistically, you’re only going to get a day out of it. There’s a reason why it insists you close apps often and unfortunately, you’ll have to comply if you want to get to the end of the day with some charge left.
When two become one
When it was announced two weeks ago, one of the main features it pushed was the introduction of a dual camera system.
Using two 12MP cameras to help give photos depth was an easy way to catch attention, but the result is an impressive camera.
It’s also an interesting experiment and for the most part, it works. If you’re taking a photo of a tiny object, there might be some parts of it blurred out, but even if you mess up, you can still adjust the blur post-snap.
Packed with different features and settings, the overall camera quality is superb and works in a wide variety of situations. Considering the high standard the likes of Samsung, Apple and HTC has set, it’s does well to match them.
Should you buy it?
If there’s one reason for choosing it, it’s the camera. The effort Huawei has put into it means it’s on par with its rivals and the lower price compared to the S7 and iPhone 6s means it’s worth considering.
The main drawback is the software itself. It’s still too much like Apple and too needy for it not to get on your nerves. It’s disappointing as the smaller, unique ideas do work but are undermined by the core. Add to that average battery life and the flaws might be a step too far for some.
But what it does have is a competitive price which will certainly help it. If you prioritise the camera above everything else, it’s worth it, but if not, you might want to check what else is out there first before committing to it.
Pros
- Light and wafer-thin design.
- Simplified options makes it easier to navigate
- Dual camera system one of the best out there.
Cons
- Software still weighed down by iOS look
- Bloatware still an issue
- Battery life is average at best.
The Huawei P9 will cost €599 for the 32GB unlocked version. Availability in Ireland has yet to be announced.
Windows phone hasn’t really got any traction in the market. One interesting thing is that a lot of people who have the phones really like them. I have used a Windows phone since Windows 7 and I am on my third upgrade. I think to fully appreciate the advantages you have to use the features. There is excellent integration of cloud storage, email and contacts with your Microsoft account. You can open office attachments in email and edit on the go. It is also excellent if you want to add a work email account and have in a separate window with it’s own tile. For the game enthusiasts there is an excellent selection of Xbox games. Most of the popular social media apps are available bit it is true that there is less choice than apple or android. I think the failure of windows 8.1 on desktop probably put a lot of people off windows phones. Ironically Windows 8.1 is really nice on a windows phone. The emergence of Windows may make people look a bit closer at Windows phone. Anyway looking forward to my Windows 10 upgrade in the new year.
By the way I don’t work for microsoft
That’s some decent storage
Due upgrade was thinking of switching to android Samsung s6 but my cloud storage, contacts email etc arevon Microsoft I wonder is there much hassle or should I get a 950
It’s useful for my purposes with OneNote, Office Lens and integration with Office but not as adaptable as Android.
I just upgraded to the 950 from a Samsung Galaxy S5. So far, I’m impressed. What I find nice are the little things that make using the phone easy. Searching for apps / contacts on the phone is really intuitive. the groove music app is great too. And one nice feature is the ability to put playlists directly on the front tiles. great for Bluetooth integrated cars / speakers etc…
On the downside, I does overheat a fair bit, and I would recommend a cover for it, but generally I’m impressed. I haven’t tried out the continuum integration yet, but I will get to that at some stage.
The devices look great but no one is going to fork out €600 or a long contract on something they might hate. Maybe some sort of like it or your money back guarantee could be good.
It may be a device you can flip to Android if you don’t like Windows
To write as a CON that Windows 10 is buggy and needs works is just pathetic if you don’t back it up with examples. Anyway have you ever seen an OS without bugs??? I feel the CONS are just written because you couldn’t find any…
In the same boat dropped my 925 on a wooden floor and the screen went in bits. Not it’s first fall to be fair!
“With an infrared light glowing while it searches for you, it quickly recognises you and unlocks your phone, making for a more convenient experience than a fingerprint.” .. I got the new iPhone 6s plus and I just have to touch the sensor and they thing unlocks. the problem is that the Camera on the Lumia is not as good as iPhone. I moved to android for a year, got the note 3, liked the phone and size, but the camera was not great and I didn’t really use the stylus much. its hard to beat an iPhone.
It’s quite easy to beat an Iphone. Drop it on a soft pillow and the screen cracks! I’ve dropped the Lumia on a tiled floor and it was grand.Tough aul phones Nokias!
You`re are one of the lucky one`s RTibe . I dropped my 925 Lumia about a year ago, and the screen went to s**t. Loved that phone. Replaced it with a 1520 Lumia, which I picked up preowned for a steal. If you can get past it`s size it`s a superb phone with excellent specs. Everybody too their own I say. And Robert in my opinion the Lumia camera is the best you can get on a phone, just saying!
Hardcore fans = codeword for employees of Microsoft, the only people who seem to use Lumina phones
I don’t work for them and am on my third Lumia. Excellent storage, really good camera and feels more solid than most androids. However I will admit, the lack of apps is an issue. Not enough to put me off though!
have your say